Difficulties' in purchasing Provisions. 173 
fible ; he faid that the buffaloes were far up the country, and 
that there had not been time to bring them down to the beach. 
The next morning we went afhore again : Dr. Solander 
went up to the town to fpeak to Lange, ana I remained upon 
the beach, to fee what could be done in the purchafe of pro- 
vifions. I found here an old Indian, who, as he appeared to 
have fome authority, we had among ourfelves called the Prime 
Minifter ; to engage this’ man in our interell I prefented him 
with a fpying-glafs, but I faw nothing at market except one 
fmall buffalo. I enquired the price of it, and was told five 
guineas: this was twice as much as it was worth ; however, I 
offered three, which I could perceive the man who treated 
with me thought a good price ; but he faid that he mull ac- 
quaint the King with what I had offered before he could take 
it. A meifenger was immediately difpatched to his Majefiy, 
who foon returned, and faid, that the buffalo would not be 
fold for any thing lefs than five guineas. This price I abfo- 
lutely refufed to give ; and another meifenger was fent away 
with an account of my refufal : this meffenger was longer ab- 
fent than the other, and while I was waiting for his return, I 
faw, to* my great aflonifnment, Dr. Solander coming from the 
town, followed by above an hundred men, fome armed with 
mufquets, and fome with lances. When I enquired the mean- 
ing of this hoflile appearance, the Doflor told me, that Mr. 
Lange had interpreted to him a meffage from the King, pur- 
porting that the people would not trade with us, becaufe we 
had refufed to give them more than half the value of what they 
had to fell ; and that we fhould not be permitted to trade 
upon any terms longer than this day. Befides the officers 
who commanded the party, there came with it a man who was 
born at Timor, of Portuguefe parents, and who, as we after- 
wards difeovered, was a kind of colleague to the Dutch fac- 
tor ; by this man what they preten fed to be the King’s order 
was delivered tome, of the fame purport with that which Dr, 
Solander had received from Lange. W e were all clearly of 
opinion that this .was a mere artifice of the fadlors to extort 
money from us, for which we had been prepared by the ac- 
count of a letter from Concordia ; and while we were hefi rat- 
ing what flep to take, the Portuguefe, that he might the 
fooner accomplish his purpofe, began to drive away the people 
who had brought down poultry and fyrup, and others that; 
were now comi ,g in with buffaloes and fheep. At this time, 
I glanced my eye upon the old man whom I had compliment- 
ed in tire morning with the fpying-glafs, and I thought, by 
his looks, that he did not heartily approve of what was doing 5 
I therefore took him by the hand, and prefented him with an 
old broad fword. This inilantly turned the fcale in our fa- 
vour j he received the fw ord with a tranfport of joy, and 
P 3 fiourifhing 
